the news commentary was wonderfully stated, telling of the 220 brothers who were baptized. This screening began on Thursday, and within just a few days the majority of the theaters throughout the nation would be showing these pictures. Undoubtedly millions of persons throughout Australia will learn of this wonderful convention and of the New World society through this publicity and it will give Jehovah’s witnesses from one end of the country to the other the opportunity to tell why the brothers were baptized in water and what the Kingdom of heaven means.

The days after the convention were spent in checking the office records and seeing what could be done to advance the work in Australia and the islands of the Pacific. The time moved much too fast to handle all that was necessary even though the travelers were delayed one day because the airline discontinued a flight. They were put on the following day’s flight to Jakarta. A good crowd was at the airport to say good-by, all hoping that it would not be five years again before somebody came to Australia from the American office. But all felt greatly refreshed because of the wonderful “Triumphant Kingdom” assembly and because of the constant, healthy growth of the New World society in Australia.

CONVENTION AND MEMORIAL IN INDONESIA

The next stop, a day late, was Jakarta, Indonesia. The flight was long and tedious, but there were some beautiful sights, like a towering 12,000-foot high volcano with a crater big enough to swallow a town. The hundreds of little islands below were emerald green with sparkling silver rims around them, making them look like jewels in the sea. The convention was already under way and in session when the visitors landed at Jakarta. On getting to the convention hall the president observed a great change since his first visit to Indonesia in March, 1951. Then there were only twenty brothers in the city of Jakarta who were doing some preaching work. Now there were 223 in attendance, some of them coming from all the principal islands in this newly formed government of Indonesia. It was good to renew old acquaintances again and the visitors enjoyed meeting many new faces. Here was proof that good response to the preaching of the message of the Kingdom was had during the five-year period, for there was a new peak of publishers in Indonesia of 261. In addition to this many of the Dutch people who had learned the truth and also Eurasians had emigrated to Europe in the past five years. Many capable brothers had been developed and there were now several strong, healthy congregations on the three large islands with isolated groups on other islands round about the principal ones. In the city of Jakarta alone there were two Indonesian units and one Dutch-speaking unit.

In this fast-moving, overcrowded city of Jakarta it was difficult for the brothers to find accommodations for the visiting brothers, but it was finally accomplished. In order to hold the sessions it was necessary to engage three different halls. A cafeteria setup was arranged in the back yard of the home of one of the brothers. For quite a few this was the first assembly and also the first time a number of the brothers had left their native island. This shows the power the truth has on the brothers to make them want to assemble together in these last days. All were very grateful for the provisions that Jehovah God made for them in their young theocratic lives. For some of them it meant eight days of traveling by boat over 1,400 sea miles, and owing to the fact that many of them were poor they could not use comfortable cabins but set up camp on the decks of the ships they traveled on. Still others came by train from the thriving congregation of Surabaya.

All the brothers were happy and eager to get out into the field service, and wonderful experiences were had. It was a pleasure for all to be sitting in the audience and listening to different brothers from various parts of the country deliver discourses and take part in the demonstrations. Here is a new organization, young and vigorous, with not many in it who are mature, but still they are trying and succeeding in being one. It was a most educational convention. One missionary remarked that the service meeting would have been a credit to a convention anywhere in the world. Jehovah’s spirit can accomplish much in a short time when the individual’s heart is right toward him. The missionaries that are in this land have warm hearts. They can look back over the short period of years of hard work as they see these students they have helped taking part in the program and co-operating so well with such fine results. It makes them feel well rewarded for having left their homes and countries to travel over thousands of miles across land and sea to a new land with a new language and new people. Here they have found new brothers.

The congregation of God’s people in assembly certainly appreciated the good words presented by Brothers Adams and Knorr and they were indeed grateful for the announcement that the Watchtower magazine would be increased from twelve pages to sixteen and glad to hear the complimentary remarks on what good work the Indonesian brothers were doing with the Watchtower magazine in their own language. They are now printing as high as 5,000 copies of The Watchtower, which is translated and printed right there in Jakarta. Back in 1952 the magazine’s study article used to be translated from English and stenciled, but as the work grew and the demand for the magazine became greater the work of printing the magazine was turned over to a local printer. In 1952 the first issue was 250 copies. Now in 1956 the April 1 issue had grown to 5,000 copies. The audience was overjoyed to know the magazine would be of sixteen pages, and then they were surprised even more when they were told that when the regular edition of The Watchtower stayed at 5,000, because of their good efforts in distributing it, the Society would translate the Awake! into the Indonesian language. This good news was received with typical New World society enthusiasm. Magazine distribution by the publishers in Indonesia is splendid, and it is easy to distribute the magazine in a number of languages. Placing twenty-five magazines in store-to-store or even house-to-house work in an hour is not difficult for a publisher, and distributing forty magazines in a morning’s witnessing work is not unusual. One of the missionaries obtained nine new subscriptions in the store-to-store work in one morning. People who live in Indonesia appreciate very much that the magazine is published in their own language. As the Society does not have many publications in Indonesian, the stressing of the Watchtower magazine in weekly distribution, it is felt, should cause the circulation of the magazine to grow very rapidly.

On Sunday morning, March 25, everyone was made especially happy as the branch servant delivered a very excellent discourse on dedication and water baptism. Although he has been there less than five years as a missionary, he speaks very fluently in the native tongue. Sixteen brothers from various parts of the far-flung territory answered in the affirmative to the baptismal questions put to them.

In the afternoon a meeting was held with pioneers, missionaries and those interested in pioneer work. Brother Knorr had the opportunity of answering questions and encouraging a number to take up the pioneer service. He pointed out that some who even had good records as congregation publishers might be able to get right into the special pioneer work and would not have to begin pioneering first, if they were willing to devote all their time to the preaching of the good news in some island section. It is believed the response will be good. There were about thirty in attendance at this meeting.

The talk “Making All Mankind One Under Their Creator” was delivered Sunday afternoon at five o’clock in the Gedung Kesenian and translated into Indonesian. This talk could not be publicly advertised, as at the moment no public meetings are allowed, but religious organizations may have their own meetings and persons interested in their work may attend. Two hundred and seventy-one persons came to the assembly and 241 remained to hear the closing remarks relating to experiences that Jehovah’s witnesses are having behind the iron curtain. Certainly, it was pointed out, “if under such conditions they can preach and maintain their integrity, then we here living under much more favorable conditions should be determined to preach and extend our ministry at every opportunity while conditions are still favorable.” The convention was brought to a close on a high note, but for those in Indonesia it meant another day of blessing because the time was at hand for the yearly celebration of the memorial of the death of Jesus Christ.

Monday evening, March 26, was the 14th day of Nisan, and after six o’clock on this day Jehovah’s witnesses around the world would be keeping the memory of the wonderful sacrifice that Christ Jesus laid down or offered on Jehovah’s altar. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood in symbol, they were partaking of the communion sacrifice pictured in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is in this part of the world that the day begins, so probably those in Jakarta were among the first to celebrate the feast at Jehovah’s table, to be followed by thousands in Asia and then Europe and finally North and South America, all celebrating the same evening meal. Here at Jakarta 268 were gathered together, along with hundreds of thousands of others elsewhere, but only one of this group partook of the emblems. Everyone else did not, indicating they are of the “other sheep” and looking forward to gaining perfect earthly life in the new world of righteousness under the kingdom of heaven, but at the same time recognizing the wonderful provision Christ Jesus made and recognizing him as King with the government upon his shoulders.

There is still a great work to be done in Indonesia. This is just a new country that has acquired independence and liberty and self-government. There is a great reconstruction work that must go on. Along with this reconstruction work of Indonesia, Jehovah’s witnesses have a very important announcement to make, namely, that God’s kingdom is the hope of all mankind. Back in the year 1947 there were only thirteen publishers. Today there are 261 and these must serve over 80 million inhabitants who speak more than 200 dialects. So a great work lies ahead of the few publishers there. The missionaries were a great help to the few publishers in the land when they arrived in 1951, but today circuit work is organized as well as district work. The circuit and district brothers travel great distances to serve the congregations and the Society is pleased to be able to pay these expenses to bring the proper instruction and comfort to Jehovah’s witnesses in all the islands. The response has been very good over a period of years until now they have reached a new peak of 261 publishers. Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere rejoice that they are moving ahead so well and maturing so fast.

Many of the Indonesian brothers were at the airport to say good-by to Brothers Knorr and Adams as they prepared to fly away to Singapore. In two hours’ time they flew over many islands of Indonesia, and, when they came down at the airport, here again there were about thirty brothers to give them a hearty welcome to the pleasant city of Singapore.

Declaring Our Hope Unwaveringly in Meetings

A PERSON of good will drinks in the truth that is handed to him at the door or on revisiting him. As he grows in knowledge and understanding he begins to feed himself at the home Bible study, but still only with milk. Advancing still more he attends the congregational meetings, where he feeds on more solid spiritual food. Then, as he reaches maturity, he prepares well for these meetings so that he can take part in them and help feed others. Where do you fit in?

Paul counseled: “Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to incite to love and right works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold